


the best way to the heart is

by ObscureReference



Series: Rarepair Friday Fics [7]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Choking Mentioned, M/M, not described in detail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 23:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6774172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObscureReference/pseuds/ObscureReference
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric had never had to call 911 for his bakery before. But, he figured, there was a first time for everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the best way to the heart is

**Author's Note:**

> Based off the prompt: "minementis said: Happy rarepair day!! :* Ransom/Bitty: AU where Bitty works in a bakery and someone chokes on a muffin or something idk. Ransom is the paramedic that comes to the scene and after the medical problem is solved (the person choking doesnt have to be carted away after being checked on), Bitty offers Rans a treat or something and they shamelessly flirt haha"

Eric had never had to call 911 for his bakery before. But, he figured, there was a first time for everything.

He had managed to keep steady enough on the phone when he realized that no, one customer was _not_ humping the other one in broad daylight, she was giving him the Heimlich maneuver. The realization had both spurned him into action and nearly gave him a heart attack at the same time. The choking customer had spat up something gross while Eric was giving the operator his location, but he at least appeared to be breathing properly by the time the dispatcher told Eric that help was on the way.

Everything after the paramedics showed up was a blur namely because Eric needed a moment to collect himself after coming to terms with the fact his baker was _not_ going to be known as “the one where a guy choked to death” after all. Also because the paramedics looked more like models than paramedics. Where did they get EMTs from these days? The sexy calendar catalogue?

“Excuse me?”

Eric jolted himself from his thoughts. One of the EMTs—the one Eric had been staring at the most since they had both walked in, too entranced with the line of his jaw and the broad span of his shoulders to look away—was standing in front of his counter. The other one was still talking to the customer who had choked, but it looked more like a casual conversation than anything serious. There was no stretcher, at least.

So nobody was getting carted off today. Eric would still not be the bakery owner who had his customers taken away in an ambulance.

He realized he had taken a second too long to respond and plastered on his brightest smile. “Yes! How can I help you?”

The EMT smiled back. It was a _really_ nice smile, Eric thought. He wanted to see more of it. Really, he wanted to see more of everything, but that was an inappropriate thought to have in public. 

“Can I get some of those lemon squares to go?” the EMT asked. “And also four of those chocolate croissants?”

“Coming right up!” Bitty chirped. A thought struck him. “What’s your favorite flavor of pie?”

“I didn’t order any,” the EMT said.

“I know,” Bitty told him, his fingers hovering over the display. “But y'all probably deserve a reward for all the people you help. Plus for running down here in the first place. It’s on the house.”

Maybe he was flirting a little. _Maybe_. It had been a long time since Eric had seen anyone as attractive as this guy and even longer since he’d been on a date.

How appropriate was it, he wondered, to give an EMT free food when someone had choked on his baking just minutes before?

The EMT didn’t look skeptical, at least. He put his forearms on the counter and leaned on them, still smiling. “I like cherry.”

Eric nodded. He didn’t think about it when he asked, “And can I get a name with that?”

“Justin,” the EMT said.

Eric nodded again and gave the guy a once-over look. Justin. It fit.

He shoveled a few lemon squares into a bag and did the same with the croissants, his hands never faltering even though he could feel Justin’s eyes on him as he did. When it came time to grab the pie, he snagged one of the Styrofoam containers he kept below the counter and carefully placed the slice of cherry pie inside. He was secretly celebrating the fact that even though he rotated all his flavors daily, he’d still chosen to make cherry that morning.

It probably didn’t matter. The chances of Justin being interested in him—even if he hadn’t apparently caused someone to nearly die from his food and oh, boy, _that_ was going to be used against him the next time he saw the manager from the cake shop down the street—were rather low, he figured. But a little kindness never hurt.

Eric placed the sweets into a to-go bag and set it on the counter.

“All set,” he said. Then he repeated, “It’s on the house.”

Justin reached out to grab the bag but paused before he took it. He raised an eyebrow at Eric. “I’m the only one who gets a pie?”

Eric jolted, remembering the other EMT, the blond partner who was now watching the exchange from one of the corner tables. He’d been so _obvious_ , hadn’t even thought about—

“Oh, yes, of course!” Eric said quickly, rushing to open the display again. His words may have run together as he spoke. Blood rushed to his cheeks. “Your friend, what does he—”

Justin chuckled. His hand dropped so he could lean on the counter again. “It’s okay. I was just teasing you.”

Eric glanced that the blond EMT who was definitely watching them while pretending not to watch them as he held a newspaper in front of his face and peered over the top.

“Still,” Eric said.

“He can eat the lemon squares,” Justin said, shrugging. “Besides, I kind of like being special.”

He punctuated the end of that statement with a wink. An actual wink. A line like that probably would have been a little sleazy or lame any other time, but at the moment it sent even more blood to Eric’s cheeks. He was pretty sure he’d get lightheaded soon if he didn’t put a stop to that soon.

Eric opened his mouth to respond but found he didn’t have anything to say. This outcome hadn’t even entered his head when the ambulance had first pulled up.

It didn’t seem to matter anyway, since Justin kept talking. “I know you said it’s on the house, but that guy was fine by the time we arrived. So how about I return the favor with dinner?”

“Yes,” Eric rushed to say. “Dinner would be nice.”

He smoothed down the front of his apron as though that would make a difference. Inner Eric was having a party in his head, but Outer Eric smiled and tried to keep _some_ dignity.

Justin sat up straighter.

“What about that Italian place down the street?” he asked, reaching into the to-go bag and pulling out one of the lemon squares. “Is seven a good time?”

Eric didn’t close the shop until nine but today he’d make an exception. “Great!”

Justin looked rather proud of himself for a moment. Eric thought that had all gone to shit when Justin bit into the lemon square and his face fell into something akin to shock, but then he _moaned_. 

“Oh, _holy shit_ ,” he said around a mouth full of lemon square. “You _made_ this?”

Inner Eric got out the party canon, and Outer Bitty couldn’t help some of the pride that shone through.

“Yes, sir,” he said. Justin glanced between him and the lemon square as though they held one of the secrets to the universe. Eric had known he couldn’t have gone wrong with his food. Justin hadn’t even eaten his pie yet. Still, it was nice to know he had been wanted even without his baking skill added into the mix.

“Okay,” Justin said once he had finished the treat. “Can I get, like, seven more of those? And also some of the brownies? Because holy shit. But I will pay you this time.” He quickly added, “Also, please tell me you still want to go out tonight because I don’t feel like anything was real before just now.”

“Of course,” Bitty said easily. “Besides, you haven’t even tried my pie yet.”

Justin lit up. Eric reached for the brownies.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to hmu on my tumblr (http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/) for whatever reason. I keep the shorter rarepair fics under the "rarepair friday fics" tag.


End file.
